Mount Vernon Optic-Herald

The development of a Wildfire Mitigation Plan was given the go ahead by members of the Franklin County Commissioners Court at their meeting Monday, Nov. 23.
R. E. Lee McNeely, Regional Urban Wildland Interface (UWI) Coordinator with the Texas Forest Service of the Texas A&M University System, approached the court about doing the plan.
The community Wildfire Protection Plan program was developed by the Texas Forest Service as a way to customize wildfire plans for counties and communities at risk from wildfires. The local plan will be specific to the needs of Franklin County by defining what resources are available and creating a plan for safe, efficient response from local fire departments and the Texas Forest Service, Mr. McNeely explained.
Court members were attracted to the offer for two reasons. There is no cost to the county outside of the time the local Fire Marshal Gerry Allen will work on the project. Secondly, a completed plan increases grant eligibility for projects identified in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan section.
The plan is to help with planning and firefighter safety. This all results in increased public awareness and collaboration on wildfire issues with the private sector to protect homes in rural areas, he added.
Currently only seven other counties in the state have Wildfire Mitigation Plans. The latest was Red River County, according to Mr. McNeely. The process can take up to three years to complete, depending on the size of the county to be covered. However, Mr. McNeely indicated that the local plan was expected to be complete in 6-12 months.
Representatives from all four volunteer fire departments met with the planning group Tuesday, Nov. 17. All four groups have offered their support and participation in the process, Mr. McNeely told members of the Court.
- Lillie Bush-Reves ’09